Door frame assembly



Nov. 29, 1966 A. E. PAssovoY 3,287,856

DOOR FRAME ASSEMBLY Filed OCT.. 16, 1964 INVENTOR mim/W6@ @550w/f Byron/.4 5, ,KA/0.555 40 GAME/PHL United States PatentOiifice 3,287,856 Patented Nov. 29, 1956 3,287,856 DSOR FRAME ASSEMBLY Alexander E. Passovoy, 5144 Valencia Brive, Grange, Calif. Filed Oct. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 464,439 10 Claims. (Cl. 49--504) The present invention relates to door frame assemblies and in particular to extruded metal door frames.

An extru-ded metal door frame has -many advantages. It may be manufactured quite inexpensively and yet retain a substantial physical rigidity. It may be rapidly assembled within the door opening. And, it may be constructed of an aluminum alloy, thereby providing an aesthetically pleasing appearance while obviating the necessity for painting the frame surface. For these and other reasons, the extruded frame affords a considerable cost saving over other metal and wooden frame assemblies.

The prior art includes several different constructions of metal door frames, including extruded fra-mes as shown in U.S. Patents 2,840,201-Anderson and 2,910,154-I-Iammitt et al. Although the extruded metal frames have the aforementioned advantages, there has not been available prior to the present invention an extruded frame especially adapted for factory mortised doors, that is, doors having their hinge positions located at the factory. A substantial cost saving is afforded by utilizing such doors rather than hand mortising them when they are installed. Heretofore, however, in order to utilize a pre-mortised door, it has been necessary to mill r otherwise form corresponding recesses in the extruded frame member. This latter operation is also time consuming and has substantially cancelled any cost savings achieved by the use of pre-mortised doors.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved extruded metal frame particularly adapted for use in conjunction with factory mortised doors.

Also, as described in detail hereinafter, the present invention has certain other features not available in the prior art extruded frames. Thus, a common problem facing the builder is that doors are manufactured in varying widths. Heretofore, it has been generally necessary to utilize a different frame member for each door width whereas a single frame size constructed according to the present invention is readily adapted for use in conjunction with doors of different widths.

A further advantage of the present invention is that the lateral alignment of the hinge butts is determined by the frame proper, thereby further facilitating the installation of the door to the frame and insuring that the door is installed within very close tolerances.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an extruded door frame assembly which enables the door swing, or side to which the door is hung, to be very easily reversed.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Briey, in accordance with a preferred form of the present invention, a door frame comprises an extruded metallic channel member having substantially parallel side anges adapted to engage the sides of the door opening and a connecting web portion for-ming the door jamb. The web portion has formed therein first and second laterally spaced slots which extend substantially throughout the length of this portion. This web is adapted to receive the door hinge butts at any point therealong corresponding to the door which is being mounted within the frame. Accordingly, the door may be mortised at the factory and the hinge butts located so as to match the mortises of the door. Advantageously, the web also includes a raised shoulder portion for accurately defining the lateral position of the hinge butt, thereby further facilitating the installation of the door in the frame of this invention.

After the hinge butts have been installed upon the web, an extruded cover member having first and second longitudinally extending tongues adapted to engage the first and second slots of the web portion is located in juxtaposition with the hinge butts, the length of the cover sections being determined by the actual positions of the hinge butts on the channel member. The cover member has a `depth substantially equal to that of the hinge butts so that when positioned on the web portions in juxtaposition with the hinge butts, the surface of the cover is substantially flush with the surface of said hinge butts.

In this manner, the frame and door installer is required only to cut lengths of the extruded channel members to fit the door opening and lengths of the cover Imember corresponding to the hinge positions. Neither the door proper nor frame members are required to be mortised or recessed on location, thereby substantially decreasing the time required to install a frame and door. Further, the frame member provides lateral alignment for the hinge butts so that the installer can both quickly and accurately locate and secure the hinge butts to the extruded frame member.

The door frame of the present invention is further improved over the prior art by readily accommodating doors of different width. The web portion of the frame includes an integral flange stop adapted to removably secure an elongated resilient cushion'. The width of this pad is selected to ll the space between the ange and the door surface. In this manner, the door hinge butts can always be installed at the predetermined lateral location and the integral flange provided at the same location on all frame members while allowing doors of different widths to be readily installed.

A more thorough understanding of the invention may be obtained by a study of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the door frame of the present invention mounted in a wall opening;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the construction of a preferred embodiment of the door frame assembly;

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the assembly shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the construction of another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the construction shown in FIG. 4; and

FIGS. 6a and 6b illustrate the manner in which doors of various widths are accommodated by door frames constructed in accordance with the invention herein described.

Referring now to FIG. l, an extruded door frame comprises vertical upright extruded metal sections 10, 11 and a horizontal extruded metal section 12 enclosing an opening formed in the wall 13. Section 19 accommodates a pair of hinges 15 which support the door 16.

Extruded metal sections lll, 11 and 12 are advantageou'sly formed in the manner shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, these sections comprising an extruded metallic channel member 20 having substantially parallel side flanges 21, 22 and a connecting web portion 23. Flanges 21, 22 are adapted to engage Ithe edge of the wall opening and have internally extending bosses 25, 26 `abutting lthe opening face.

Web 23 is adapted for receiving the fhinge butt 30 of hinge 15 and advantageously includes a raised longitudinally extending shoulder 31 having a constant dimension from the face of the frame member 29 and an elevation dimension identical to that of the hinge thickness. The edges of the hinge butts are abutted against this shoulder,

annesse thereby assuring accurate alignment of the hinges and installation of the door within very close tolerances. The installation of the hinge but-t 30 is further facilitated by incorporating a pair of longitudinal Vdshaped grooves 35 in the outer face of web 23. These grooves are aligned with the respect-ive positions of apertures in the :hinge to accurately define the locations of respective sheet metal screws 36 which are used to secure the butt to the frame member.

A door stop is provided by longitudinally extending flange 40 located generally orthogonal to the web 23. Flange 40 includes an undercut groove 41 for securing a resilient cushion 42 formed for example from vinyl plastic and having a cross-sectional configuration conforming to the groove 41.

Web 23 further includes first and second laterally spaced slots S0, 51 extending throughout the length thereof. As shown, these slots may be equal in depth and incorporate an enlarged, undercut portion 52 at the bottom thereof forming an interior shoulder 53. A cover member 55 includes first and second longitudinally extending tongues 56, 57 adapted to extend into the slots S0, 51 respectively. Each tongue advantageously incorporates a Wedge-shaped end portion 58 and shoulder 59, the length of the tongues 56, 57 corresponding to the depth of the slots 50, 51 and shoulder 59 engaging the interior shoulder 53 of the groove. The thickness of cover 55 is substantially equal lto the depth of hinge butt 30` so that when the cover is positioned on the web, its outer surface is substantially flush with the hinge butt 30.

The installation of a door frame constructed as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is as follows: Sections 10, 11, and 12 of the channel member 24) are secured to the door opening as shown in FIG. 1. Hinge butts 30 are then positioned on the -face of web 23 corresponding to the mortised hinge locations on door 16. Generally, the most economical installation results from utilizing a door 16 having mortises provided at the factory so that the door installer need only secure the hinge butts to the door and to the frame segment 10. The door frame installation is then completed by cutting 4cover segments to match the spaces on both sides of the hinge butts 30. Thus, referring to FIG. l, the lower section 60 will 'be provided between the lower hinge butt and the oor, an intermediate cover section between the hinge butts and an upper cove-r section 62 between the upper hinge butt and the horizontal frame 12. These sections are then merely snapped into place by pushing the tongues 56, 57 into the grooves 50, 51 until the tongue shoulder 59 engages the shoulder within the groove. This operation is facilitated by the wedge-shaped extremities 58 which apply a sufficient force on each tongue to flex it a suicieut amount to pass through the groove.

An alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 5 wherein the web 70 is provided with an elongated Igroove 71 and a relatively short groove 72. Corresponding tongues 73, 74 are provided on the cover plate 75. The manner in "which cover 75 is secured to the web 72 is somewhat different than in the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3. Thus, as shown in FIG. 4, the longer tongue 73 is rst extended into its mating groove 72 so that enlarged tongue portion 80 is juxtaposed to inner shoulder AS1. The cover plate is then pivoted into the position shown in FIG. 5 by applying a force to that portion of the cover nearest the stop flange 40. It will be apparent that the external appearance of Vboth the constructions may be identical.

Another feature of the present invention is that a single fra-me of given dimensions can accommodate a multitude of different width doors. By Way of example, the prior art frames are generally designed to receive a 1% inch 81 shown in FIG. 6b whereas the door frames are identical in cross-sectional dimensions. The thinner doors are accommodated :by removing the vinyl plastic bumper cushion 86 whose face is, for example, 1% inch from the edge of the frame and replacing it with a thicker bumper 8S whose face is, for example, 13/8 inch from the edge of the frame. In this manner, 4the different width doors are easily accommodated by selecting a resilient cushion or pad which fills the space between the stop flange 4t) and the door surface 82, a thicker cushion 85 bein-g utilized for the narrower door and a thinner cushion `36 being utilized for the wider door.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides an extruded metal door frame assembly having a door jamb in flush abuttment with three edges of each hinge butt Without any milling, mortising or notching being required. A signicant corollary is that frames constructed according to this invention provide that the swing of the door, or side to which the door is hung, may be reversed simply by interchanging the cover plate of frame member 11 for the sectional covers 60, 61 and 62 of frame member 10 (FIG. l). Likewise, the substitution of another door (which may be thicker or thinner than the original door) requires only that new cover sections be cut to conform with the changed hinge positions and a bumper strip installed having the required thickness.

Although exemplary embodiments of the invention have been disclosed and discussed, it will be understood that other applications of the invention are possible and that the embodiments disclosed may be subjected to Various changes, modifications and substitutions without necessarily departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a door frame assembly providing a door jamb for receiving door hinge butts,

an extruded frame member having a door jamb portion containing a continuously planar, unmortised surface receiving said door hinge butts secured thereto, said door jamb portion including first and second laterally spaced slots extending substantially throughout the length thereof,

said door jamb portion being Wider than the door hinge butts, a portion of which is elevated to form a longitudinal shoulder located a constant dimension from the face of the frame member so that the hinge butts are automatically aligned by abutting their respective side edges against said shoulder,

and plural cover sections engaging the portions of said frame member located above and below the hinge butts between said shoulder and the face of said frame member, by moving each of said cover sections having first and second longitudinally extending tongues in a direction transverse to the length of the door jamb and snapping into engagement with the rst and second slots of said door jamb portions,

the faces of each of said cover sections and said elevated portion being substantially flush with the surface of said hinge butts when said cover sections are in engagement with said door jamb portion so that the outer surface of said door jamb is formed in flush abutment with three edges of each hinge but without any milling, mortising or notching being required.

2. The door frame assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the first and second laterally spaced slots of said door jamb portion are equivalent in depth and the first and second tongues of said cover are equivalent in length so that the face of said cover remains substantially parallel with said web during assembly of the former to the latter.

3. The door frame assembly defined in claim 1 wherein one of said first and second slots is substantially deeper than the other and one of said first and second tongues is substanitally longer than the other so that said longer tongue is initially inserted into said deepergroove and said pressure applied to the face of said cover proximate said shorter tongue for pivoting said cover and engaging said shorter tongue in the other of said grooves.

4. In a door frame assembly providing a door jamb for receiving door hinge butts,

a frame member having a door jamb portion containing a continuously planar unmortised surface receiving said door hinge butts secured thereto, said door jamb portion including at least one slot extending substantially throughout the length thereof,

said door jamb portion being wider than the door hinge butts, a portion of which is elevated to form a longitudinal shoulder located a constant dimension from the face of the frame member so that the hinge butts are automatically aligned by abutting their respective side edges against said shoulder,

and plural cover sections engaging the portions of said frame member located above and below the hinge butts and between said shoulder and the face of said frame member, by moving each of said cover sections having at least one longitudinally extending tongue in a direction transverse to the length of said door jamb portion and snapping said tongue into engagernent with said slot of said door jamb portion,

the faces of each of said cover sections and said elevated portion being substantially flush with the surface of said hinge butts when said cover sections are in engagement with said door jamb portion so that the outer surface of said door jamb is formed in lush abuttment with three edges of each hinge butt without any milling, mortising or notching being required.

S. The door frame assembly defined in claim 4 wherein each slot is undercut to accept an enlarged portion of said tongue to lock said cover in place when said pressure is applied to its outer surface.

6. The door frame assembly defined in claim 5 wherein the enlarged portion of said tongue is in the shape of a wedge for facilitating insertion of said tongues in the grooves of said web.

7. The door frame assembly defined in claim 4 wherein said extruded metallic frame member has substantially parallel side flanges and a connecting web,

said door jamb portion is formed by a portion of said web, and said assembly further comprises a stop tiange extending generally perpendicular to said web and integral therewith and removably securing a resilient cushion, the thickness of said cushion having the predetermined thickness such that the distance between the face of said cushion and the edge of the frame corresponds to the thickness of the door to be installed Within said frame. 8. T he door frame assembly defined in claim 4 wherein said door jarnb portion comprises a pair of longitudinal shallow grooves aligned with the screw locations of said door hinge butts and said door hinge butts are secured to said door jamb portion by screws penetrating said grooves. 9. The door frame assembly defined in claim 4 wherein said extruded metallic frame member has substantially parallel side flanges and a connecting web including a raised longitudinal shoulder located a constant dimension from the face of the frame and an elevation identical to that of the hinge butt thickness so that said hinge butts are automatically aligned by abutting their respective side edges against said shoulder. 10. The door frame assembly defined in claim 4 wherein said frame member includes an integral door stop having means for selectively converting from a door of a given width to a door of a larger 0r smaller width.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,323,754 12/1919 Gogay 189-46 1,623,874 4/ 1927 Johnson 49-504 2,605,869 8/1952 Backman 189-46 X 2,726,745 12/1955 Quinn 189-46 2,910,154 10/ 1959 Hammitt et al. 189-46 3,140,763 7/1964 Edelstein 189--75 X HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner, KENNETH DOWNEY, Examiner, 

1. IN A DOOR FRAME ASSEMBLY PROVIDING A DOOR JAMB FOR RECEIVING DOOR HINGE BUTTS, AN EXTRUDED FRAME MEMBER HAVING A DOOR JAMB PORTION CONTAINING A CONTINUOUSLY PLANAR, UNMORTISED SURFACE RECEIVING SAID DOOR HINGE BUTTS SECURED THERETO, SAID DOOR JAMB PORTION INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND LATERALLY SPACED SLOTS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGH OUT THE LENGTH THEREOF, SAID DOOR JAMB PORTION BEING WIDER THAN THE DOOR HINGE BUTTS, A PORTION OF WHICH IS ELEVATED TO FORM A LONGITUDINAL SHOULDER LOCATED A CONSTANT DIMENSION FROM THE FACE OF THE FRAME MEMBER SO THAT THE HINGE BUTTS ARE AUTOMATICALLY ALIGNED BY ABUTTING THEIR RESPECTIVE SIDE EDGES AGAINST SAID SHOULDER, A PLURAL COVER SECTINS ENGAGING THE PORTIONS OF SAID FRAME MEMBER LOCATED ABOVE AND BELOW THE HINGE BUTTS BETWEEN SAID SHOULDER AND THE FACE OF SAID FRAME MEMBER, BY MOVING EACH OF SAID COVER SECTIONS HAVING FIRST AND SECOND LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING TONGUES IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO THE LENGTH OF THE DOOR JAMB AND SNAPPING INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FIRST AND SECOND SLOTS OF SAID DOOR JAMB PORTIONS, THE FACES OF EACH OF SAID COVER SECTIONS AND SAID ELEVATED PORTION BEING SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH WITH THE SURFACE OF SAID HINGE BUTTS WHEN SAID COVER SECTIONS ARE IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID DOOR JAMB PORTION SO THAT THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID DOOR JAMB IS FORMED IN FLUSH ABUTMENT WITH THREE EDGES OF EACH HINGE BUT WITHOUT ANY MILLING, MORTISING OR NOTCHING BEING REQURIED. 